Staff Sergeant Bert McGuire enlisted in the Army on 7 August, 1943. He kept a daily log of where he was and what was happening during his service. The following was taken from his diary. On 12 November, 1944 he left Camp Gruber, OK headed for New Jersey. Bert departed the US aboard the Alexandria on 25 November, 1944. 'Aboard ship dainty quarters, bunks three high . . . Sailing away, Old Liberty sure looked pretty up there.' December 9th, 'Through Marseille, arrive at C.P. '2' cold as hell, Pup tents.' On Christmas Day, he reached the French Maginot line, 'Christmas in cold, dank, stinking fort.' the 28th saw him walking 9 miles with a backbreaking load of a 70 pound pack in zero weather. On the 19th of March he reached the border of Germany and on the 2nd of April his unit crossed the Rhine on a pontoon bridge at Worms. 'Snipers very bad at river crossing. Many hit. Casualties mount.' May 8th 'War officially over.'